Analytical models for coated plasmonic particles: effects of shape and size-corrected dielectric function

Abstract

Recently, modal expansion methods (MEMs) were developed to accurately predict the extinction and scattering spectra of bare and coated plasmonic particles. However, it remains uncertain whether the accuracy of analytical models is preserved when incorporating size-corrected dielectric functions. We compare numerical (COMSOL) and analytical extinction and scattering spectra for various particle shapes - rods, disks, prisms, bicones, and bipyramids - using both bulk and size-corrected dielectric functions. Size correction primarily causes broadening and a reduction in the plasmonic peaks. Still, the accuracy of analytical models is maintained for all shapes except sharp bicones, where MEM fails for both bulk and size-corrected dielectric functions. This failure arises from the strong localization of the plasmonic field near the sharp bicone tips. However, for realistic bicone models with nanometer-scale tip curvature, MEM performs well.